Voters May Decide Fate of “Gig” Drivers and Delivery Workers
Last week, a much-anticipated initiative was filed regarding independent contractor status for transportation network drivers and delivery network drivers/couriers in the gig economy. The initiative is titled the “Protect App-Based Drivers and Services Act”
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Mixed Bag
The Governor finished signing/vetoing all bills yesterday. CalChamber was tracking 62 bills on his desk, 32 support and 30 opposed. So how did we do?
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More Exemptions Needed on Bill Codifying Independent Contractor Test
There are three weeks left in the legislative session and one of the most common questions I get multiple times on a daily basis is what is going to happen with AB 5 – Dynamex?
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Even Perfect Compliance Can’t Forestall Litigation
In a policy committee hearing last week, a legislator argued that employers need not worry about litigation, liability, or financial settlements, if they just follow the law. If only it was that easy in California. Even Perfect
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For Uber and Lyft Drivers, Reclassification Means Less Flexibility
Last week, an op-ed appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle discussing the fact that executives from Uber and Lyft have come together to address the ongoing issue of worker classification for rideshare drivers. This
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CalChamber-Sponsored Bill to Protect Businesses from Predatory Lawsuits Passes
Legislation sponsored by the California Chamber of Commerce to help educate businesses and protect them from predatory lawsuits passed an Assembly committee last week with unanimous support. AB 1607 (Boerner Horvath; D-Encinitas) will provide notice about the
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Proposal Would Inflict Hefty Litigation Pricetag
Gender equity in the workplace and more generally in society is basically a no brainer. However, a bill pending in the Legislature has taken the idea of gender equity to the extreme and may
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CalChamber Identifies AB 51 as Job Killer; Full List to Come
The California Chamber of Commerce today announced its first identified job killer of 2019 — AB 51 (Gonzalez; D-San Diego). The bill, which is scheduled for hearing on March 6 in the Assembly Labor and
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Assembly Committee to Hold Informational Hearing on Dynamex Today
The Assembly Labor and Employment Committee today will hold an informational hearing on the decision issued last April by the California Supreme Court that changed the test to determine whether an individual is an
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What’s the 411: – Capitol Insider
What is an informational hearing? What is its purpose? Why does the Legislature have these hearings? Informational hearings are a useful way to educate legislators on important policy topics and should not be ignored.
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It’s Getting Hot in Here…Maybe Not
Approximately ten years ago, California led the country when it adopted outdoor heat illness regulations that specify safety procedures an employer must take for workers who work outside during high heat temperatures, defined as
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Heat Illness Prevention in Indoor Workplaces
The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) is in the process of developing regulations to prevent heat illness in indoor workplaces. A California Chamber of Commerce-led coalition has submitted written comments and
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“A new year brings a new chance for reform.”
The Institute of Legal Reform captured this practice of looking back at events in the prior year by publishing its 2018 Top Ten Most Ridiculous Lawsuits: . Two out of the top ten most
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School is Back in Session
Wow, that went by fast! Interim is officially over as the Legislature reconvenes today to swear-in all of the members for the new legislative session. But, they won’t be here long. After today, members
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Get Out and Vote!
An abundance of political ads, ballot initiative mailers, and phone calls urging you to vote are all signs that an election is upon us. If you haven’t already voted by mail, get to the
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Task Force Completes Its Work on Equal Pay
In 2016, SB 358 (Jackson) took effect and became one of the strongest pay equity statutes in the country. To ensure the proper implementation of SB 358, the California Commission on the Status of Women
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No Rest for the Weary: Next Legislative Session Will Bring Big Changes
Now that the Legislature is out for interim and all the veto/signature request letters have been sent to the Governor’s office, many think that it is time for rest and relaxation for lobbyists and
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Independent Contractor Coalition Continues Working for Legislative Solution
The effort to develop a proposal supporting the ability of workers to work independently will continue through the legislative recess. As many employers know, the California Supreme Court outlined a new test in Dynamex Operations
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And That’s a Wrap, with One Job Killer Still Standing
The legislative session came to an end on Friday night. So how did it go? This session, the Legislature addressed a variety of issues from wildfire liability, the #metoo movement, to making surfing the
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Bill Limiting Use of Settlement/Arbitration Agreements on Governor’s Desk
A California Chamber of Commerce-opposed job killer bill to limit the use of settlement agreements and arbitration agreements for labor and employment claims has passed the Senate and is on its way to the
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